


Assorted ThinkFast fics

by Ishmael



Category: Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Mad Max Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Organized Crime, Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Angst, Awkwardness, Bisexual Character, Comment Fic, Flirting, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Roughhousing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-18 18:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2357129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ishmael/pseuds/Ishmael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short/unfinished fics, centered on David and Tommy</p><p>1: What Tommy saw while he was gone and the nature of Patri-not<br/>2: Met-in-a-library AU<br/>3: Met-in-a-hostel AU<br/>4: Pacific Rim AU<br/>5: Mad Max AU<br/>6: Organized Crime AU<br/>7: Marriage proposal</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dreams and Patrinot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had versions of this banging around in my head since the possibility of David becoming Patrinot came up.

Tommy tells everyone he doesn't remember anything about what happened when he vanished, that it seemed like only an instant between warehouse and party.

He's _mostly_ telling the truth.

What he does remember is in snatches, pieces of a forgotten dream. He remembers being surrounded by endless, oppressive white on white on white, where he was a small, pale thing barely able to escape being lost in it.

He remembers the familiar mask on an unfamiliar body and a voice full of nothingness. He remembers that strange inhuman thing putting a red glove on his cheek and saying _what you can't outrun._

It should be creepy but it isn't. Instead it's full of a grief that fills Tommy's chest, huge and senseless and terrible. As hard as he tries to forget it never leaves, that alien sadness invading whenever he's still too long.

He dreams of facing Billy, a different Billy who's moved past a name so small—one so steeped in magic Tommy could feel it prickling his skin, one who is pinned to the center of the universe as its beating heart. A confident, overwhelming brother he barely recognizes.

He wakes with a throat hoarse from screaming rage he doesn’t know the reason for, an anger directed at Billy that goes far beyond snide comments about how the world really does revolve around him.

The only words he can remember are _Fix him_ said with desperation and fury Tommy didn't think himself capable of.

Tommy wants to forget all of it, dismiss it as some stupid dream.

But sometimes he catches David with an expression that echoes the heaviness in Tommy's chest. He'll stare at Billy or his own hands with a fatalism Tommy doesn't want to understand.

The thing about good people is they're shit at taking care of themselves—they always give away too much. Tommy knows that there's a time to be selfish. Whatever any of this means, Tommy will make sure David doesn't do something stupid in the name of a greater good. He owes David that much.


	2. Library AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot-person-studying-in-library AU where everyone works in the library and/or goes to the same university. It started as a side project and was a lot of fun to [brainstorm](https://33.media.tumblr.com/9c0d39848939320160db01ed06670c88/tumblr_nb4qzsIiRl1rhc5zko2_r2_1280.png), but I had trouble pulling it together. These are 2 of the longer sections that make a mostly complete story. Maybe one day I can get the others in shape and continue the story.

Tommy makes a discovery the day he takes his break late to eat with Teddy and ends up shelving nonfiction later than usual.

The 3rd floor has all the boring genealogy books and microfiche and other crap nobody cares about so it's the most sparsely populated (and therefore quietest) section of the library. There's a spot in the back with strong wifi and two working outlets in easy reach of the corner table that doesn't get direct sunlight but is close enough to the windows to have a lot of natural light instead of fluorescents. It's the perfect spot—if Tommy studied in libraries (if he studied at all beyond the night before exams) he'd totally study there. Only a handful of people have discovered the spot so it's usually empty.

But it isn't today.

Today, there's a guy probably a little older than him, with books and papers and a laptop spread over the table in neat little piles.

He takes clothes that'd look at home on a tenured professor and through some kind of sexy fashion magic comes out looking like a hot nerdy hipster instead. Tommy stops a moment, because shelving is way less important than a guy who can pull off yellow glasses without looking like a douchebag. The whole effect comes across very fashion magazine fall collection, with the yellows and maroons and the rich brown of his skin. Put him in a rock quarry or creek bed instead of a cheapass fake wood desk and it'd be perfect.

The guy looks up, so Tommy does a totally smooth no-I'd-meant-to-do-that misdirect that makes it look like he'd been staring but not _creepy_ staring, because Tommy has been people-watching at the library long enough to know how to play it cool. Hot Nerd goes back to studying and Tommy goes back to doing his actual job.

And if he shifts his schedule for more sightings of Hot Nerd? Well, it'd be stupid not to. Tommy had done the same for Kate and for Angry Uptight Baldy last year, until Kate dated Baldy for a bit and ruined the fantasy with all that interaction and personal drama and feelings.

(Tommy knows Baldy's name, but he'll remain Baldy because people who turn down the chance of a threesome with Tommy are clearly not worthy of names. Asshole.)

People work way better as background. Tommy likes people enough he'll skip out on being one of the basement trolls in the dusty aisles of forgotten Patterson and Steele but doesn't get how Teddy can be all smiley at the people who bitch about fines or come back with CD cases covered in banana slime.

So Tommy has no particular desire to actually talk to Black Brainiac (which is a nickname Tommy is pretty sure America would punch him for, so it's relegated to the bottom of Tommy's ever-growing list of appellations). Maybe at some point he'll approach, since he tried it with Kate and they had some good makeouts before their interest petered out, but not now.

After two weeks of observation Tommy decides Mr Studious is possibly the most boring person on the planet because _seriously who does everything at the exact same time every day?_ But given his hotness, Tommy will forgive him. It's nice to have a little eyecandy to look forward to.

Unfortunately it makes it easy for Teddy and America to get nosy. They don't always take breaks together because Teddy spends most of his being disgusting with Billy and America is off being mysterious or doing supervisor stuff or whatever but they notice by the third Wednesday Tommy sticks with the new break time.

Teddy brings it up first. "Why the time change? Not that I mind," he adds, smiling like he thinks people are capable of getting mad at him.

Tommy slurps at his cup ramen and shrugs. "I like the shift in my schedule."

America narrows her eyes, switching into boss-mode "You've got your sights on somebody. _Again._ " It's always impressive how much casual menace America can pack into one word.

"You do?" Teddy perks up at this as he is a terrible gossip and will text Billy with the news as soon as he has the details. It's like their Disney romance is so boring they have to compensate by annoying Tommy with useless advice.  (They tried setting him up once, when they found out Tommy had made out with a guy and got all weird about it. Tommy made them regret it. Completely worth the resulting two-month fight.)

"It's just some eye candy, no big deal." Ugh Teddy is incapable of understanding ogling with no intention of follow-up. Well, no intention for now. Tommy doesn't bother to figure out why his interest is either full out or nonexistent or what makes it switch, he just does whatever works at the time.

America cocks her head to the side, probably thinking over Tommy's history before turning boss-mode off. "Ok."

Good, she must not be too annoyed with him because that response blocks Teddy from making a big deal of it. It'll be over once Billy finds out it's a guy, but for now Tommy can ogle in peace with supervisor permission.

***

[LATER, TOMMY RUNS INTO TEDDY AND DAVID IN THE GYM]

As soon as Teddy's out of earshot, David turns to Tommy. "So are you going to start stalking me here, too?"

"Whoa, not stalking," Tommy says, holding up his hands is mock-surrender. "I was here to meet Teddy, that's it. Coincidence."

"Then what's with hanging around where I am in the library?" Hardly shocking David's noticed—Tommy hasn't bothered trying to be subtle about it. That'd make him look guilty.

Tommy shrugs, "Admiring the scenery."

The annoyed frown on the guy's face says Tommy needs to explain himself better than that.

"I see tons of people at work. If somebody easy on the eyes is there regularly, I make it part of my day. That's it. I'm not some kind of creepy pervert; I need more to go on than looks to care about that."

"But you're not blind, either," David gives a thoughtful nod, but he's still frowning.

"Yeah," Tommy says, a little shocked that he doesn't need to defend himself more. Billy always goes through multiple rounds of questioning and everyone else will make dubious faces until Tommy has explained himself three times. "I don't beat around the bush when I'm interested in somebody."

David absorbs this, making the thinking face Tommy is used to seeing when he studies. The eye contact at the end is new. A good kind of new. "If Teddy and I hadn't started talking, you never would've come up to me?"

"Dunno. Depends. It worked with my last girlfriend."

"Mind if I ask what happened?"

"I saw her on the archery range the next week. She made Legolas look like a chump." Kate had made it look easy, _sophisticated,_ one smooth motion from loading to firing. Three into the center of the target and one just on the inside ring all in a row without breaking concentration, without seeming to need breath. Huh, the memory doesn't have the same feeling as before. It's still nice, but distant. "So I went up to her and suggested making out. We did, but it didn't last."

David doesn't say anything for a moment, like he's considering something. "So am I still part of the scenery after we're done talking?"

"Only if you want to be." And suddenly, Tommy _doesn't_ want it to go back to the way it was before. David has a voice that hints of dry humor, an expressive face that never shows when he's studying, even if this conversation featured more frowns than smiles Tommy wants to see more. _What does David look like when he laughs?_ "You're way less boring than anyone else around here. It'd be a waste."

"Yeah, it would be." He holds out a hand, his face softening but not quite smiling. "David Alleyne."

They clasp hands, David's broad palm returning Tommy's too-hard squeeze. "Tommy Shepherd. Want to grab coffee?"

Coffee establishes the boring stuff—David's two years ahead of him, studying Biology, from Chicago, has a younger sister, and is the picture perfect student with good grades and club activities and life goals and everything.

But underneath that are hints of more interesting things—David alludes to missing out on his first choice colleges and starting late but doesn't say why, the way he _gets_ everything so fast and takes it at face value Tommy barely has to explain anything, how he doesn't jump to judgment when Tommy brings up juvie (how the hell did that happen, anyway?) and reacts with no more than a flicker of surprise and a nod. Tommy mentions Teddy, Billy, America, and Kate but keeps it as sparing as he can. It's not often Tommy meets somebody who isn't already friends with Billy and pre-loaded with his opinions.

 _This one is mine_ Tommy thinks, not caring how irrational it is when Kate hadn't known Billy and Teddy either and David has already met Teddy.

"So what does this mean when I show up to study next time?" He actually sounds concerned for his study time; it's sad and kinda cute all at once.

"It means when I 'accidentally' drop a book and bend over to pick it up you're welcome to watch." Tommy laughs at David's dubious face, deciding he's going to be especially clumsy tomorrow to make his point.

"Coffee is hardly an archery range."

Tommy considers, examining his interest. "Not there yet, but close. No reason not to have fun and show off my _ass_ ets."

David lets out a started bark of laughter, shaking his head. "You're going to make it impossible to study, aren't you?"

"Well you'll be studying _something._ " They exchange smiles, and Tommy can't help thinking a triumphant _suck it, Teddy._


	3. Hostel AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally started this as a side fic to try to jumpstart something else I was writing but it petered out.

David opens the door to the hostel room and sees a vision straight off an Abercrombie & Fitch bag—a guy about his age pulling off his shirt, revealing firm muscles and mussed blond boy band hair and ear piercings. While David's been in plenty of not-awkward changing rooms the porn-worthy tableau in front of him brings the lingering suspicion he's attracted to guys to the forefront. Not exactly a suspicion so much as a sledgehammer at this point. This calls for strategic retreat.

Luckily His Hotness didn't notice the door opening, so David grabs his bag and retreats to the hallway bathroom. He pees, washes hands, gives his hair a quick comb, and takes a moment to suppress his gay panic. He walks back to the room slowly. Surely the guy is done changing by now and David can leave the sexual crisis for later.

Except Blond Bisexual Awakening is still shirtless and this time David can see his smile and big blue eyes. The effect is ruined by the smile not being directed at David but at a skinny dark-haired guy sitting in the top bunk. They lean in to kiss and it's got the easy familiarity of many kisses that've come before.

_Of course he's gay but taken._ David thinks with a sigh. The couple continues kissing, which pushes David into awkward territory of retreating _again_ or interrupting them when he doesn't exactly want to, because it's not every day porn fantasies happen in real life, but needing to because being a creep is not how he wants to introduce himself.

"They're always like that," says somebody from behind David. He starts, turning around to see a guy with unusual white-grey hair slouching in a green hoodie. "I _told_ them they should've gotten a private room." He walks in and waves his hands between their faces. "Billy! Teddy! Cut it out before you give our roomie the awkwardest boner ever."

Tall, blond, and handsome blushes a very nice shade of pink as he sheepishly pulls away and turns to look at David. "Sorry."

"Not a big deal," David soothes, trying not to ogle. "I should've knocked."

"It won't happen again," says top bunk guy, nervously sweeping his already-perfectly-in-place bangs to the side. "I'm Billy, this is my boyfriend Teddy, and the obnoxious one is my brother, Tommy." His smile starts small but grows warmer.

Tommy—David can see the resemblance now that he's got a better look at them—jerks his thumb over his shoulder at his brother. "These two are going to continue making goo-goo eyes at each other until they've hit their daily make-out quota. You look like way more fun. Let's go grab some food."

"Tommy—" Billy protests at the same time David says, "What?"

David finds his shoulder a duffle bag lighter and he's being dragged out of the room before he can properly register what's going on. Once his brain catches up he executes a quick wrist escape, turning to face Tommy in the hostel stairwell. "What was that all about?"

"Whoa, where'd you learn that trick?" Tommy says, ignoring the question.

"Hapkido. Now seriously, why are you dragging me into your fight with your brother?"

"We're not fighting."

David raises an eyebrow. "So you normally run off with strangers?"

Tommy grins. "If they're hot enough, sure. And you definitely rock that nerdy hipster thing you've got going."

It's hard not to give Tommy a reassessing once-over, but David resists. One round of sudden sexual awakening ogling is enough for a day. _Don’t get distracted_. "I'd be ok with that if that really were your only reason. I don't want to get caught in whatever's going on between you two. I don't even know you."

Tommy stomps down the stairs, letting his body flop haphazardly with every impact. "Fine, I'll spill. But only over food. Buy me noodles at the place down the street?"

Not exactly what David had in mind—he'd rather stay out of it entirely. But after losing touch with the few people he'd been able to call friends in high school, aggressively friendly hostel stranger seems like the kind of risk David should take. Meeting people is supposed to be one of the benefits of hostels. And he hasn't had anything to eat since the granola bar on the bus. "Sure. Lead the way."


	4. PacRim AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain decided it wanted a break from my big project and I wrote this all in one go.

Tommy storms through the base corridors seething with anger. Everyone's at the fucking ceremony congratulating the new fucking pilots so he doesn't see anyone, doesn't have to hide how his hands are shaking.

It was supposed to be him out there, piloting that fresh-off-the-line Jaeger. Him and his long-lost twin. He remembers the moment he found out, a memo from HQ months into getting great scores but no sign of anybody drift compatible that a background check on somebody from the Seattle base was a genetic match.

Tommy's parents had died in the attack (good riddance) and he hadn't even known he'd been adopted. That hadn't mattered, all that mattered was his twin was his ticket into a Jaeger. Even separated, twins had the highest success drifting.

Then he'd met Billy and it'd all gone to shit. They hadn't got along. Their scores were (barely) high enough to try drifting and the first time in Tommy got tangled up in one of Billy's gay memories and was thrown into an unexpected sexuality crisis that kept them arguing for a solid month. Even when they hauled ass and tried their scores just weren't good enough and they were thrown back into partnerless limbo.

And of course, _of fucking course,_ the first person Billy drifts with sets a new _fucking_ record for sync rates. Teddy's not a bad guy but Tommy can't help hating his guts, that Billy magically finds his perfect chiseled-jaw boyfriend without even trying and Tommy's stuck here, brimming with aggression and nothing but the Kwoon room to take it out on.

"FUCK!" He shouts at the empty room, stripping down to his tank top and pants, leaving his discarded clothes on the mat.

"Sorry to interrupt your tantrum, but would you mind picking up your clothes? I'm going to need the mat space," says a voice from the corner of the room.

Tommy whirls, hackles raised. The guy is black, buff—hot even with the douchey yellow glasses. He stops from doing his plank and stands up. He's familiar—Tommy places him, he's the guy he's seen all around base that despite having the muscles of a soldier is never in a uniform. "Who are you?"

"David Alleyne." He holds out a hand. Tommy doesn't take it. "I use the gym when I know it'll be empty."

"Well it's not empty now. Fuck off." Tommy glares but David doesn't move.

"It's easier to work out aggression when you have somebody to square off against." David says, calm and reasonable and _infuriating_.

Tommy takes that as an invitation and punches David—but instead of his speed paying off his hand is grabbed and redirected and Tommy finds himself spinning around with barely enough presence of mind to escape David's grip.

"What the fuck?" Tommy's always had fast reflexes. It was why so many of his potential co-pilots failed—they couldn't keep up with him.

David smiles a little, and Tommy hates that he likes that smile. "Second degree black belt."

"You're not in the pilot program."

"I'm the base consultant. The ambiguous title means I float around depending on where they decide I'm needed."

"You're the genius." Tommy's heard stories but never connected them to the weird guy he'd see around. "What are you doing here?"

"Using the gym, like I said. Until I was interrupted." He raises one judgmental eyebrow.

Tommy takes another swing at him. As David side-steps Tommy shoots out his leg, tripping him. David grabs Tommy and they go down in a pile of limbs.

"Thomas—" David says

"Tommy," he corrects, eeling his way out of the joint lock David tries to put him in. "How do you know my name?"

"Base gossip is still talking about how you blew up at the marshal." David grunts as Tommy shoves him back on the mat. Tommy's moment of triumph is ruined when David somehow gets the leverage to flip them over, his hips heavy on Tommy's stomach. "And I was hoping to run into you."

Tommy goes still. "What?"

"Because you're the only other person who won't be celebrating today."

Their bodies are close, sweaty. Tommy hates how it makes him a little turned on. "Why would—"

"Teddy was my boyfriend." David's words go harsh, bitter before he calms down with a long exhale. "We were dating until he first drifted with Billy. It was obvious what was going to happen but Teddy would've kept quiet about it out of loyalty and been miserable. So I broke up with him. And now I'm here."

"Holy shit." Tommy sees David's face go soft with sympathy and makes his move. David's hand is already there, intercepting so Tommy decides it's time to play dirty and grabs David's ass with his other hand.

David yelps, but before Tommy can get away he's palming Tommy's dick through his pants and _fuck_ when did he get hard? Tommy's breath explodes out of him. They grapple and Tommy suspects David lets him end up on top, pinning David's wrists to the floor.

"This isn't how I expected things to go," David says with a rueful smile, his glasses askew.

"Some genius you are." Tommy leans down to kiss him, hard and dirty.


	5. Mad Max AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started thinking up what everyone's Mad Max AU names and would be and that quickly spiraled into more. More Gen then ThinkFast. **Spoilers for Mad Max: Fury Road.**

The sound of a familiar motorbike kills the argument Demiurge and Prodigy are having over fuel intake. They pull their heads out of the pursuit vehicle's engine, both wiping their greasy hands on their pants in an automatic gesture as they turn to the entrance of the narrow valley they've claimed as a temporary shelter.

Their group is too small to have a permanent stronghold, too weak to do more than scrape by on what they can steal. They're about run out of water. If Speed doesn't bring back good news from his scouting trip they're in for hard times.

Dorrek the Merciful emerges from their cave shelter, frowning with worry. Stars and Stripes of Wrath cast wary looks with their hands on their guns. Hawkeye sits up from where she'd been skinning the snake she'd caught earlier. Marvelous wakes up from his doze in the front seat of the pursuit vehicle, keeping low until they're sure who's coming.

Speed rounds the corner so fast his bike skids and sends up clouds of dust. He doesn't bother to wait until the bike is fully stopped to leap off of it, disregarding the way it crashes to the ground as he tears his goggles off.

A protest forms on Prodigy's lips at the damage to the bike they so painstakingly stripped down for maximum efficiency--

Speed's whole body is fierce with joy. "Immortan Joe is dead!"

The group is stunned to silence, only the dying growl of the bike engine in the air as Speed catches his breath. He smears at the dirt and sweat on his face. Demiurge offers a rag to his brother but Speed waves it away.

"What?" Stars breaks the quiet at the same time Stripes says, "How?"

"Who holds the Citadel?" Marvelous asks. It had been his home until he'd been left behind to die and a chance encounter with Dorrek saved him. Stars and Stripes nod their acknowledgement his question takes priority.

Speed's smile is triumphant. "Furiosa and the wives lead now." He shakes his head at the questions he sees on their faces, running hands through his pale hair to shake out the sand. "Later. There's more. The Bullet Farmer and People Eater are also dead. Gas Town was left vulnerable and was taken over." He looks up, grin turning vicious. "By Kang the Conqueror."

The group seethes with shared rage--Kang, who had once been one of them. Kang, who slaughtered Vision and Cassiopeia. In the uproar, with their newly acquired pursuit vehicle, they might have a chance at getting to Kang if they act fast enough.

As one, they look to Hawkeye. Her face is set with grim determination. "How long until we're ready?"

Prodigy and Demiurge exchange a glance. "Not long," Prodigy says. "Depending on how badly Speed damaged his bike."

"Hey," Speed starts to protest.

Hawkeye cuts him off with a look. She meets their gazes each in turn, gauging them. She must like what she sees. "Marvelous, put on your legs and get your drums. We ride."

"We ride!" the others shout, punching the air.


	6. Organized Crime AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another procrastination ficlet. Inspired by [this post](http://definitelynotsatann.tumblr.com/post/91563390706) on tumblr, which I'd read so long ago I had trouble finding it after I finished this. The end result is less humorous than I'd intended but Magneto PoV will do that. Magneto was influenced by his ongoing solo series and the movies; I pulled characters from both.

The only time he regrets forming a criminal empire is when he's forced to do tedious administrative work. Magneto—in his mind he is only ever Magneto, not his birth name, or his current alias, or any other name—sighs, scrolling through the list of personnel.

He'd never intended to end up here. Years ago, all he'd wanted was the power to protect people he cared about; one decision after another led him to take power wherever he could find it and not obey anyone's rules but his own. It had cost him. Lovers, friends, a daughter who ran away, a son who was too angry to protect his own life, grandsons stolen away by child services, and countless subordinates who believed in him enough to die. But with the sacrifice came the leverage and influence to enact change. He'll spill blood as long as he has to.

The one family member remaining to him, a grandson lost but found when he entered the juvenile prison system, was a reckless wild child who refused to listen. Being the grandson of The Magneto brought dangers and bodyguards were an unfortunate necessity. But Thomas was caught in the reckless abandon of newly minted adulthood. His talent for ditching his protection was as impressive as it was infuriating.

"Sure you don't want me to pick?" Raven asks at his next sigh.

"I don't mean to disparage your previous choices," he assures her. "But none of them have been enough to keep up with Thomas—Tommy. I need somebody different."

She nods, one elegant hand pushing red hair behind her ear. "What kind of different?"

Talking through it might help stir new ideas. "None of our usual detail will work. Thomas has proved he's beyond them." He can't help the note of pride in his voice at that. Thomas is reckless but his energy and cleverness shows much potential. "I can't pull any of our more talented people without jeopardizing their current assignment. I need somebody with the skills working elsewhere. Somebody…younger, perhaps. Less set in their ways." That narrows down the option significantly but he knows it's a good call as soon as he said it. He sorts the list on his tablet by age, scrolling through the first sets as too young and inexperienced to handle such an important assignment. He scrolls though dealers and gun runners, informants, until Raven's finger reaches out to tap one of the faces.

"Him," she says, tapping again to reveal details on _Alleyne, David_.

A couple years older than Thomas, good. His history is a common one—a bright future ruined by a youthful mistake, an unjust justice system labeling him criminal and barring him from normal life, reluctant recruitment out of desperation. His position in low level logistics speaks of desk work but multiple notes about his ability to develop new skills and physical talent show promise. Martial arts, marksmanship, the potential is all there. It's almost too good to be true. "Have you met him?"

"Once. Uncannily good memory, respectful, practical, and smart." She meets his eyes; she's not telling him something but she thinks he should see it on his own, or wonders if he'll draw the same conclusions. Intriguing.

Bodyguard duty is beneath the skill set presented but there's no telling how he'd perform in the field. This will be as good a test as any. If what's on paper holds true, David will go far with the right guidance. "I'll meet with him. Have Thomas waiting, I want to see how he reacts when they're introduced. Do we have anyone available for backup?"

She shakes her head. "I'll assign the usual monitoring and tail as a precaution. I'll let Briar know to schedule the meeting, shall I?" She stands to go, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze on the way out.

Magneto stares at the photo of David for a few more minutes. There's no immediate threat to Thomas, this should be simple, but he hasn't come this far without being paranoid. He'll have to keep a close eye on them.

...

One thing that's never gotten old in the look when he walks into a room, the burst of fear and shock. David keeps his surprise to his eyes, hastily rising from his chair and almost offering a hand but settling on giving a respectful nod. "Magneto, sir," is all he says, not quite a question. Composure, no blubbering, eye contact—excellent start. They sit down.

"Mr Alleyne. Starting immediately you're on a new assignment."

His back straightens and he leans onto the table. His expression is carefully neutral. "What about my work?"

"Not your concern any longer. We have somebody else in line." Logistics requires skill but not enough to be hard to fill. Alleyne takes a quiet, slow breath but shows no other signs of stress at hearing he's been replaced.

"What's the job?" When their eyes meet again there's some fire behind the brown, a little anger. He's not afraid to show he's displeased.

Magneto smiles. "Protection. I know you have no experience but this person has proven especially difficult to manage. Prone to ditching his detail, which makes it difficult for them to do their job."

"Who is it?" Alleyne asks with a tone that suggests he already knows.

"My grandson, Thomas." On cue Briar opens the door to the meeting room, ushering the unruly eighteen-year-old in.

"What lameass idiot are you saddling me—" his voice trails off at the sight of David. " _This_ is the new guy?"

"Potentially," Magneto says, watching the two young men assess each other.

Thomas—almost identical to Magneto when he was younger—is smiling. Alleyne's mouth almost forms a frown, correctly reading that he's in for a world of trouble.

"You look ten years less boring than everyone else," Thomas says with a smile. "Call me Tommy. Only grandpa uses Thomas." He makes a childish face of disapproval which is dismissed just as quickly.

Magneto knows that he should give in and start calling him Tommy. The longer he doesn't the more staunchly Thomas will cling to the nickname.

Alleyne stands, offering his hand to Tommy. "David Alleyne."

Tommy laughs and waves off the handshake. "Dude, lighten up. Nobody's actually trying to kill me and I'm sick of the hardened goon bullshit." He turns to Magneto. "You have to brief him on boring stuff first, right?"

Magneto nods.

"You've got my approval and all that. I'm out. Later, David. Look forward to hauling me home when I'm drunk off my ass!" Tommy waves and smiles as he exits the room.

Once the door is closed Alleyne turns to him. His face wars with contained emotion before he closes his eyes, sighs, and says, "He's going to be a nightmare, isn't he." It's not a question.

"You're the twentieth person we've selected. Don't disappoint me." Some of them had been teams but fear is a useful motivator. "Briar will fill you in on the details."

Alleyne's face is set with determination. Perhaps his grandson will finally meet his match. He'll keep an eye on them and find out.

…

Three weeks later Magneto snarls at the sound of Tommy's voicemail, _again_. "Alleyne?"

"No answer there either." Raven says with a frown as she hangs up her phone as well. "No sign of activity at Tommy's place but the tail thinks that's where Tommy is. No sign of further activity on Fisk's men."

Could Alleyne have been a plant? The Kingpin is calculating; manipulating a subordinate into joining a rival's ranks until they can strike deep is child's play. No, that doesn't fit. Alleyne's attitude was too quiet to make waves. At the rate he'd been going he would've spent another year or two in logistics before having a chance to move up. The attack by Fisk's men and the quiet on Tommy's part could be a coincidence but what could be keeping _both_ of them from answering?

"Faster," he calls to the chauffeur. They're at the house in less than a minute. Magneto throws himself out of the car, running up the lawn in long strides. Raven beats him to the door, opening it standing to the side. The inside is dark and quiet. Perhaps his grandson—

A crash, a groan. Magneto draws his gun and Raven does the same. There's pounding, something repeatedly hitting the wall. He speeds down the hallway, concentrating on silence and preparing for violence. Raven will have arranged backup but he's not waiting, not when he knows something is happening. Glass crashes, he hears a shout distinctly Tommy's. Magneto doesn't bother to check if the door is locked, he kicks it down with a thunderous boom. Time slows to a crawl.

A broken lamp on a pile of clothes. Two bodies tangled on the bed, moving together, but it's only the sight of bare brown legs wrapped around a pale torso that registers past the killing instinct, recognizes the rhythmic movements.

Well, that explains a lot.

Said legs seize tight, hurling his grandson's body to the side of the bed away from the door and taking both of them out of sight. The gun is grabbed from the night stand as Alleyne pops up from his crouch, gun aimed directly at Magneto and eyes blazing. It's an impressive move. Upon recognition at who he's aiming his gun at Alleyne points it at the ceiling, finger off the trigger as he raises both hands. Time resumes.

"Sir," Alleyne says, struggling for words. If he weren't so dark Magneto is sure he'd be flushed red. "Sorry." No specifying what for, no excuses, and he still has hold of his weapon like he'll use it if he has to. He's has no illusions how badly he's failed.

"What the FUCK?" Tommy shoots to his feet, cradling his head. He turns, mouth agape, snatching the sheet to cover himself. "Grandpa? What the fuck!"

"Neither of you answered your phones," Raven explains. "Fisk made a move a few hours ago. We had to be sure you weren't part of it."

Alleyne looks like he's barely containing his horror. His grip on the gun is tight. If he feels threatened he'll use it. He'd been willing to kill for Tommy and he's willing to kill for himself. Not just a paper-pusher, then.

Tommy shoves his hands into his hair and tugs. "Oh my god, do you realize how long it took me to convince him to have sex? You're the worst fucking cockblock!"

Magneto can't help it. He laughs, long and loud. No wonder Tommy had taken to David so well. He remembers time long forgotten, when he'd been foolish and infatuated despite the idiocy of it all and willing to burn the world for it. Except he certainly wouldn't have had the presence of mind to defend somebody in the middle of sex like David had, not then.

"Alleyne," he says and the room goes still. Alleyne stands, slowly, grabbing the other corner of the sheet to cover himself. Even Tommy has the sense to realize the gravity of the situation and shuts up. His pale eyes watch Magneto, playfulness replaced with wary anticipation. His body shifts closer to Alleyne, defensive.

"Your trial period is over. This is your permanent assignment. Your salary will be adjusted accordingly." He pours every ounce of killing intent into his gaze. "You will answer your phone immediately in the future. You will never forget why you're here. Am I clear?"

"Abundantly so," Alleyne says, eyes darting to Tommy to give him a furious glare before returning. "It won't happen again."

"Can everyone leave my bedroom now?" Tommy shouts, waving his arms. "Everything's fine, I really need to forget this ever happened, nobody's killing anyone." The last part he says looking directly at Magneto with challenge in his eyes.

This time Raven and Magneto laugh together, stepping over the ruined door as they leave.

The argument starts as soon as they're down the hall, Alleyne's angry hissing and Tommy's louder protests.

None of the worlds are loud enough to make out until Alleyne bellows, "MID-COITAL ALMOST-MURDER BY MY BOSS, YOUR GRANDFATHER, THE _RUTHLESS HEAD OF A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION_ , IS MORE THAN A BIT OF A MOODKILLER!"

"Oh, come on!" Tommy yells back. "It wasn't that bad!"

Ah, to be young and foolish. Magneto looks to Raven. "You expected this to happen."

"Not so soon," she says with a chuckle as she sweeps out the door. "Tommy moves fast."

"That he does." The hard look Thomas had given him had promise. Was he truly so loyal so soon? Alleyne will be an interesting catalyst—and easy leverage next time Thomas gets out of hand. This could be what finally matures his grandson into a potential successor. "Good work."

 


	7. Marriage Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possibly toxic levels of fluff.

"Hey."

David curls into a tighter ball of limbs and blankets, burrowing his head under the pillow.

"Hey," Tommy pokes him in the leg, then pokes him in the side, then snatches the pillow for good measure.

Face scrunched unhappily, David opens one eye. It's more than a little hilarious how grumpy he is in the morning. "What?"

Tommy unleashes the brilliant idea he'd had while brushing his teeth. "Let's get married. It's legal everywhere in the US now. I bet if we hurried we could get to some county that has more cows than people and be the first."

The other eye opens and David stares at Tommy with his _how-dare-you-before-coffee_ glare. "What." It's not a question, just an aggravated confused syllable.

"We should totally get married. Right now."

David pulls the covers over his head. "Let me sleep."

"No, see, it's _brilliant_!" Tommy protests, stripping away the blanket and enjoying how David shrivels up to try to maintain warmth. Tommy sits on the bed and David leans into him out of habit, burying his face into Tommy's thigh. His breath spreads heat in one long, aggravated sigh.

Warmth settles in Tommy's belly, strange but not as frightening as it used to be. Nobody believed him when he told the team David is terrible in the mornings. Sure he'd been up without prompting every day he'd been in the multiverse roadtrip from hell but that was on mission when David is all plans and poise, not at home when he can afford to be lazy. This is something only Tommy gets to see. He runs fingers over the shell of David's ear. "Is that really how you're going to react to my proposal?

"Yes," David grumbles, clumsily deflecting Tommy's hand. "Because your proposal sucks."

"Aw, come on."

David untucks his head enough to peer a baleful brown eye at Tommy. "I won't aid or abet your sibling rivalry."

Tommy laughs. "That isn't the _only_ reason I want to get married."

David nips at Tommy's thigh, no pain since it's too large to let his teeth sink in. A sharp flare of heat shoots through the dull warmth. It's hard not to let it distract him. "Ok, maybe it's a lot of the reason why I'm saying right now is a good time."

He can feel David's snort through his pants.

"But come on, we'd be beating out the poster children for gay superhero couples! It'd be awesome."

"Not everyone feels your need to declare 'FIRST!' Also, we're bisexual." But his voice is more awake now, like he's considering it. David can be plenty competitive when he puts his mind to it.

"It'd be just you, me, and a judge. No frills, no big expense, no vows that take ten years to say."

David shifts so his head is resting on top of Tommy's thigh, his body curled around Tommy's. "How much of this is you wanting to one-up Billy and how much is trying to make me do your taxes?"

"Don't forget the honeymoon." He waggles his eyebrows. "And custody of the cat."

"We don't have a cat. You feed one that belongs to the old lady with 14 cats down the street. Which you should stop doing; she's getting fat." One of David's hands has risen to Tommy's waistline, idly thumbing the strip of skin between shirt and jeans.

"See? We already argue over dumb shit. We might as well make our boringness official." Tommy says the words but his brain is focused on the trail of David's thumb for every agonizing attosecond it takes. "We could start the honeymoon early. Oh, but not too early because I like the tradition where I get to shove cake in your face."

"50% outdoing your brother, 7% avoiding taxes, 35% wanting an excuse to have a lot of sex, and 8% cake-in-my-face," David says like it's normal to spout out percentages in casual conversation. "Sounds about right. Did you want to pick up rings? I have them picked out."

It takes Tommy a geologic age to parse that. "What?"

"Rings. I planned them out a month ago. White gold with a triangular inset stone—green for you, gold for me. Should be affordable. If you don't want to do rings that's fine, I—"

"You picked out rings a _month ago?_ " Tommy sputters.

David smiles his smug genius smile which is as infuriating as it is hot when it's _inches_ away from Tommy's dick. "I like being prepared."

Tommy decides that since they're already in bed and David is definitely awake now it's a good time to practice their honeymoon. For preparedness. They can finish the debate on rings and when to get married later.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts are welcome, though I make no guarantees about getting to them.  
> I'm looking for another beta for a longer David/Tommy fic. Let me know if you'd be interested in helping.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cops, Criminals, and Family](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4140774) by [William_Magnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/William_Magnus/pseuds/William_Magnus)




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